Over 400 dead, 10,000 infected by cholera outbreak in Zambia

Zambia is reeling from a major cholera outbreak that has killed more than 400 people and infected more than 10,000, leading authorities to order schools across the country to remain shut after the end-of-year holidays.

The Zambian government is embarking on a mass vaccination program and says it’s providing clean water — 2.4 million liters a day — to communities that are affected across the southern African nation.

The Health Ministry says cholera has been detected in nearly half of the country’s districts and nine out of 10 provinces, and the nation of about 20 million people has been recording more than 400 cases a day.

Cholera is an acute diarrhea infection caused by a bacteria that is typically spread via contaminated food or water. The disease is strongly linked to poverty and inadequate access to clean water.